Hubli-Dharwad set to get BRTS in 16 months

Land losers demand more compensation; acquisition delayed

If everything goes by the plans of the officials of Hubli-Dharwad Bus Rapid Transit System (H-D BRTS), the people commuting between Hubli and Dharwad will be able to travel by swanky buses; alight and board at ultra-modern bus stands and reach their destinations in less than 30 minutes.

HDBRTS Managing Director Noor Mansur stated that as per a survey conducted by the HDBRTS, 215,000 people travel everyday between Hubli and Dharwad. Hence, the HDBRTS is proposing to introduce 120 buses in addition to 30 articulated buses.

Each of these articulated buses have a capacity to ferry 120 passengers at a time. All the buses will be air-conditioned and high floor. The Centre has directed the respective state governments to introduce Euro-4 model buses which have low emission.

Hence, the BRTS will get Euro-4 buses, he said. At present, the time required to reach the Hubli bus stand from Dharwad is 70 minutes. However, after implementing the BRTS, the buses plying on dedicated stretches will take less than 30 minutes.

These buses will operate on off-board ticketing mode and the passengers have to take ticket at the respective bus stations before boarding the bus. Separate ticket counters will be opened in every bus stand to issue tickets on a daily basis, and smart cards for monthly and yearly passes, he added.

The bus stands will wear a modern look and have electronic display boards to inform passengers of the arrival of bus and the number of seats available in the buses to arrive. GPS is being installed in the buses.

Under the HDBRTS, 33 bus stands will come up between Jubilee Circle in Dharwad and Hubli CBT. The regular buses will halt for less than 10 seconds in each of the bus stand for the passengers to board and alight. The bus service will be operational from 5 am to midnight, he added.

Replying to a query, Noor Mansur stated that to facilitate the passengers to cross the roads, the HDBRTS will construct foot-overbridges at 15 junctions. These foot-overbridges will have lift facility and a ramp would also be made, he added.

Land acquisition
Mansur stated that 68 acres are required for the HDBRTS. Of this, 24 acre is government land and the remaining is yet to be acquired. Several rounds of meetings have been organised with stakeholders for land price fixation. However, land losers from Rayapur, Bhairidevarkopp and Sattur have not obliged and are demanding more money. The land losers of Rayapur and Amargol have settled for the 2.5 times the guidance value. Now, the final round of talks will be held between the other stakeholders to take their demand into consideration and fix the price, he added.

On the ongoing four-lane works, Mansur said, the contractor who has bagged the contract for upgrading the existing road has been set a new deadline to complete the ongoing work. The contractor has to complete this road widening work by the end of April. "Once the road widening work is completed, the HDBRTS work will commence from May," he assured.